Time is moving forward second by second, and so is my age. So is your age. Are you handling aging with grace and increased wisdom? Or are you having a difficult time with the passing of time?
Sure, age is just a number, but it won’t make a difference if we don’t care for ourselves mentally, emotionally, and physically. Think about it — some men are more active and mentally sharp at 80 years old than guys in their 30s. It’s a vibe and then some.
Society loves to separate spectrums into solid blocks, but aging doesn’t work that way. Aging is relative and a progressive process that starts and ends at no specific moment. If you’re 45 and work with a bunch of people 55-70, you’re the young guy. But if you attend college, you’re ancient.
The bigger question is what you will see when you reflect on your life. Did you do what you wanted or stay in a cycle of work and weekends? Did you get out and make vibrant memories or veg on the couch?
For those of you who are still young, enjoy that youth. If you’re in your 20s, try to avoid getting married and working 50+ hours a week. Meet new people, have fun with friends, learn new things, go on adventures and travel, and enjoy life. You’re only young once, so don’t tie yourself down. But no matter what your age, enjoy it to its fullest!
You want to be in a position where you’re happy with the path you took and the relationships you created along the way. You don’t want to wake up one day regretting you didn’t travel more, spend more time with family, pursue your passion, or keep in touch with friends. I am 100% sure that people don’t regret wishing they spent more time working. You need to work to live but not live to work. Have a passion and make time for it, keep in touch with friends and family, and do what you dream.
This brings me to a critical aspect of aging: taking care of yourself. You must take care of your mental, emotional, and physical health. It’s imperative that you start now if you aren’t already. Plenty of older men are still attractive because they keep physically fit, have styled (albeit greying) hair, and maintain a stylish appearance. Taking care of your skin is of utmost importance, too—use your sunscreen daily and moisturize!
While you’re going through your life journey, get comfortable with change. Life is different than last year, two years ago, five years ago — you get the picture. The world moves fast, and you’re changing along with it. With that change, realize that different is not necessarily bad. Figure out what makes you happy today — right now. Don’t worry if that is different from what made you happy in the past. Yesterday is gone.
If you need to change careers, take the steps to make that happen. Just don’t wait. You may need to simply change the environment to get you fired up or on the path of growth. Refrain from staying stuck in a career rut and not moving on. Don’t stick around longer than you should.
If you want to achieve good things in your life, start small. Just start. For instance, accomplish random acts of kindness daily, such as holding the door for someone, paying for someone’s food, or volunteering. The small acts will motivate you to do bigger and bigger.
If you look at your friends who appear to be much farther along than you, many times, it’s the image they’re projecting. Some are kicking ass. Regardless, focus on yourself and try to make yourself better. Life isn’t a race, so be kind to yourself. Take care of your body with exercise and diet. Yourself 20 years in the future will thank you.
That said, it’s not hard to separate yourself from your peers as you age. Don’t be overweight, which will separate you from 80% of the US population. Wear clothes that fit and have an effective grooming regimen.
The decline associated with aging may just be a figment of one’s imagination. Let me explain. If you’re a fit older dude, you may still be considered old or losing your looks, but the question is who the target audience is making these opinions? The fit older dude is probably misfocused on the much younger women audience, hoping to be still able to go after them. That group is not the group aging with the fit older dude.
In essence, seeing the loss of your old glory can suck, but it’s the price paid for knowledge and wisdom gained. I’m in the best shape and feel the most put together in my life. I may have a few wrinkles, but I am physically stronger than ever, have wisdom to show for my age, sleep 8 hours a night, and barely drink anymore. Personally, I think my peak is yet to come.
Staying in shape is the key (all facets, including exercise, rest, well-being, and diet). However, with age, you finally realize that, as men, physical looks are not nearly as important as how we carry ourselves. Attractiveness is a vibe regardless of your age. Along with the physical changes of aging comes the mental change of not giving a f^ck what people think of you. The bottom line is keeping yourself in shape, and you can still look and feel fantastic into late age.
